Salt Lake City

October 15-18, 2022

By Heather Horgen

January 2^nd, 2023

First things first

The very first thing we did in Salt Lake City was go to The Pearl Vietnamese restaurant. So cute! Great food! Friendly, cowboy hat wearing staff! It was such a chill place to relax (without kids!), have a cocktail and eat and eat.

After we ate the entire menu at The Pearl, we went around the corner to Water Witch. It's a tiny place with amazing cocktails. There's always room on the broom!

King's Peak and Elevator Records

Another gem we found was this coffee shop in an industrial area, with a tiny record store inside an elevator car!

Sightseeing Nature

A highlight was driving up to Antelope Island State Park, where there is a free-ranging bison herd. As we drove around the East side of the island there was a group coming towards the road. We pulled off and parked to watch and let them cross. I had done all my research, which states over and over "do not get out of the car, never approach a bison, etc etc." They are huge. The largest one was staring at us and walking directly towards our car, and my heart started pounding a little and I didn't know whether I should put the car in drive ready to escape, or take photos. Anyways, he wandered past us and we continued on our way too.

The sunset was especially pretty out here.

After a few loops around the island we spotted a few antelope!

We came around the bend and saw the mountains against the setting sun, and Van and I looked at each other and said at the same time "purple mountain majesty." I guess Katharine Lee Bates wasn't making that up.

Saaaalty

Being on the salt flats was like being on another planet. My mind kept thinking I was on a snowy, frozen lake. Except it was warm and the sun was incredibly bright, and it was hard smooth salt.